TACOMA, Wash. – Strong performances in both the circle and at the plate led the Whitworth Pirates to a pair of wins over Puget Sound in a Northwest Conference softball doubleheader on Saturday. The Bucs took game one 5-1 before a 1-0 win in game two.
The Pirates (3-21 overall, 3-11 NWC) earned their first win since March 14th while the Loggers fell to 1-13 in conference play (7-17 overall). The series will continue Sunday with a doubleheader starting at 11:00 am.
Game 1: Whitworth 5, Puget Sound 1
Whitworth totaled a season-high 12 hits to back up a complete game effort from Teeghan Reams in the circle.
The Pirates threatened in the first two innings but were held off the scoreboard. In the first inning, Katie McKinnis tried to score from second on a base hit from Reagan Ellis, but was thrown out at the plate. Kennedy Robison opened the second inning with a double and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt before a groundout and interference call ended the scoring threat.
Puget Sound scored its lone run in the third with a solo home run off the bat of Aislind Dail.
With the help of several UPS errors, the Pirates put up four runs in the fifth inning to take the lead. Kendel Sage singled to load the bases and an error on the next at-bat pushed the first run across. Ellis followed with a bunt that scored a run and kept the line moving. Reams singled in the next at bat to score a pair and push the lead to three.
The Bucs loaded the bases again in the sixth and took a 5-1 lead after another base hit from McKinnis.
Ellis (3-4) led the Pirates at the plate while McKinnis, Reams and Robison each recorded two hits. Reams (1-4) earned the win in the circle after allowing one run on five hits with a season-high six strikeouts in a complete game effort.
Alison Madia (2-6) allowed 12 hits and struck out two in seven innings for the Loggers.
Game 2: Whitworth 1, Puget Sound 0
Momi Lyman pitched her first complete game shutout of the season to lead the Pirates to a game two win.
Both teams were held scoreless through the first four innings as both pitchers held their own in the circle. The Loggers threatened in the fourth with a pair of runners in scoring position, but Lyman induced a flyout to prevent a run from crossing the plate.
Whitworth broke through in the fifth. Camryn Sage singled to begin the inning and was moved to second after a sacrifice bunt from Addi Bale. A pitch got away from the catcher and Sage ran to third before an errant throw allowed her to score.
The Loggers were held to just two hits over the next two innings and could not push a run across the plate. Despite a 10-6 advantage in hits for UPS, the lone run was enough to secure the second Pirate win of the day.
Ellis and Camryn Sage went 2-3 in game two. Ellis totaled four hits on the day.
Lyman (2-12) earned her second win of the season with three strikeouts in seven innings.
Nyomi Estrada (2-10) was credited with the loss after giving up a run on six hits with six strikeouts in seven innings of work.
